Gender-based violence and COVID-19 : how the pandemic has shifted GBV policies, and implications for non-governmental organisations and non-profits

In this research I ask: How effectively have Canadian federal and provincial policies shifted to meet the needs of Non-Governmental Organisations and non-profits in British Columbia that serve those who have experienced Intimate Partner Violence (IPV), following the COVID-19 pandemic? Secondly, what can be done to improve the situation? Little research currently exists on this subject, as Canada continues to recover from the implications of the pandemic. To best answer these questions, I examined Gender-Based Violence policies over the past several decades created by the federal government and provincial government of British Columbia. In particular, I employed a policy trajectory approach to consider whether policy adaptations were implemented to meet the increased needs of non-profits and NGOs as a result of challenges brought upon by COVID-19. In tandem with policy trajectory analysis, I utilised an intersectional feminist framework rooted in the scholarship of those like Angela Davis, Kimberlé Crenshaw, and Patricia Hill Collins, as well as supporting literature from Indigenous activists who wrote the MMIWG report, work of disability scholars, LGBTQ2S+ researchers, and others. The inclusion of these authors demonstrates the disproportionate experiences of partner violence, as well as the additional barriers members of marginalised communities face when seeking services. Importantly, I drew upon this work to highlight the ways in which government policies have failed to address gaps in support systems for survivors. Ultimately, the findings of my research have underlined the ways in which policies implemented during the pandemic were largely reactive. Instead, recommendations produced here suggest that governments must: (1) proactively engage with non-profits, survivors and other stakeholders to not only stop partner violence, but proactively prevent it; (2) governments at all levels must acknowledge their role within systems of oppression and work collaboratively with impacted communities to address barriers; and (3) government officials find ways to shift leadership to those on the frontlines, as well as survivors, to guide policy creation and consultation moving forward.

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